Happiest West Midlands towns to live in revealed - but only two from Shropshire make the list
The happiest places to live in the West Midlands have been revealed in a new survey.
Rightmove’s Happy at Home Index asked residents how they feel about where they live, and received more than 21,000 responses.
Locations are ranked based on factors such as whether people feel there is a sense of belonging, the proximity to green spaces, local amenities and whether there is a community spirit.
Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s Director of Property Science said the survey "really shows that the things that make people happy to live in their area are not so much the physical aspects of that area but more the personal aspects, such as our sense of belonging, the community and the people".
He continued: "The last few months have undoubtedly been difficult for many, and as we learned during another difficult period in 2020, this is often when we look to our local area and community for support and happiness.”
The survey also found that one in five renters (22 per cent) planned to move in the next 12 months to get better value for money in their area, along with 16 per cent of buyers. One in 10 renters (11 per cent) said they were moving to reduce energy costs, rising to 12 per cent for buyers.
When considering what was most important about the property they might move to, a garden was most important to buyers (29 per cent), however renters were more concerned about the energy costs of the property (20 per cent).
Researchers also found that working from home or hybrid working has become a more permanent part of life with two thirds of people (65 per cent) saying they were able to work from home.
The major Shropshire towns of Shrewsbury and Telford were in the happiest West Midlands towns, listed sixth and seventh respectively.
Nationally, the Cornish seaside town of St Ives was crowned Britain's happiest place to live, overtaking the Northumberland town of Hexham to take top spot. The two have been alternating the title since 2019.
The Welsh seaside destinations of Anglesey and Llandudno also made the UK top 20.
Happiest places to live in the West Midlands
These are the top places in the West Midlands, along with their national ranking:
Leamington Spa (14)
Worcester (15)
Hereford (25)
Lichfield (27)
Stratford-upon-Avon (31)
Shrewsbury (36)
Telford (49)
Stourbridge (67)
Solihull (69)
Sutton Coldfield (133)
Stoke on Trent (139)
Stafford (164)
Coventry (183)
Wolverhampton (193)
Birmingham (196)
Walsall (200)
Dudley (201)
The index also found that the average house price in November 22 was £284,908.
Rightmove said: "In England, homes are selling the fastest in the West Midlands region at the moment, where it’s taking an average of 36 days to find a buyer. Asking prices have risen 9.6 per cent annually, but are still well below the national average."
Britain’s happiest places to live in 2022
These are the top 20 towns and cities according to Rightmove, followed by the average asking price for a home and the average asking monthly rental price:
1. St Ives, South West, £523,731, £1,152
2. Galashiels, Scotland, £153,546, £530
3. Woodbridge, East of England, £481,978, £1,196
4. Hexham, North East, £262,265, £810
5. Perth, Scotland, £179,410, £812
6. Harrogate, Yorkshire and the Humber, £381,124, £1,327
7. Anglesey, Wales, £324,048, £766
8. Bury St Edmunds, East of England, £334,160, £1,368
9. Stirling, Scotland, £197,075, £990
10. Cirencester, South West, £382,065, £1,331
11. Richmond-upon-Thames, London, £1,153,347, £3,931
12. Falmouth, South West, £373,752, £1,289
13. Monmouth, Wales, £331,844, £1,104
14. Leamington Spa, West Midlands, £383,553, £1,274
15. Worcester, West Midlands, £286,250, £1,059
16. Northwich, North West, £246,995, £942
17. Altrincham, North West, £615,246, £2,297
18. Macclesfield, North West, £292,078, £1,146
19. Newbury, South East, £380,842, £1,364
20. Llandudno, Wales, £260,245, £760
